Hong Kong’s future universities of applied sciences face reviews every 6 years to check course quality
- Post-secondary institutions will be allowed to apply for private university titles and UAS status at the same time
- Details revealed in a set of procedures and requirements for tertiary institutions to become UASs
Hong Kong’s future universities of applied sciences (UASs) offering vocational and professional programmes will face reviews every six years on the quality of their courses, education authorities have said.
The details were announced in a set of procedures and requirements for tertiary institutions to become UASs released on Friday.
Post-secondary institutions will be allowed to apply for private university titles and UAS status at the same time rather than in two steps as the government had originally suggested.
“An applicant institution shall first make an application to the Education Bureau,” the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications said.
“[The bureau] may also consider such applications in conjunction with the relevant institutions’ application for a private university title where necessary and appropriate.”
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The council, which was appointed by the bureau to draw up the criteria, conducted research on UASs in Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Canada and the United Kingdom, as well as on vocational and professional education in mainland China.
According to the manual of the procedures, the applicant institution should ask the council to conduct a review to check whether it is able to develop and deliver applied degree programmes with strong collaboration and recognition from industry.
“After a successful review, the final decision to award a UAS status rests with [the bureau],” it said.
The Executive Council makes the decision on granting the title of private university.
The future UASs will be subjected to a review every six years to demonstrate that their development, outcomes and maturity at both institutional and programme levels are consistent with the criteria.
They will also need to submit annual progress reports to the government.
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Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said in last October’s policy address that the city would develop universities of applied sciences in a bid to change poor perceptions about vocational education.
Lee added the government would provide a start-up fund to support postsecondary institutions by forming the Alliance of Universities in Applied Sciences.
The Post earlier reported that the fund would be for more than HK$40 million and a source said it would probably be announced in this month’s budget.
The bureau also announced it would provide additional subsidies of HK$5,000 for non-laboratory-based programmes and HK$8,000 for lab-based ones for full-time students enrolling in applied degree courses.
The money would come from a subsidy scheme for self-financing institutions, in a bid to encourage them to offer more applied degree programmes.
“The target students of applied degree programmes may include school leavers as well as in-service applicants, who are vocationally or professionally qualified with or yet to acquire an academic qualification for meeting the general entrance requirements for undergraduate programmes,” the accreditation council said.
It said work experience and other forms of prior learning should also be recognised by the programmes so long as the applicants had the skills to complete the courses.
Most of the potential applicant institutions earlier expressed concern that they would be regarded as “second-class” universities compared with research-oriented ones.
“The government has been promoting the development of vocational and professional education and training as a pathway parallel to conventional academic education,” the council said.
“Applied degree programmes are equal in standing with other conventional degree programmes.”
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The tertiary sector generally expects Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) to be the first UAS. Education officials earlier said the city would have the first UAS in the first half of this year.
“As the largest self-financing institution in Hong Kong and the only self-financing university granted self-accrediting status, HKMU is actively considering submitting an application,” the university said.
“HKMU has been flexibly offering professional programmes that blend theory with practice … The university also actively collaborates with industry partners to offer students a diverse range of learning and pre-employment training opportunities.”
Founded in 1989 and formerly the Open University of Hong Kong, it has about 10,000 students in five schools offering 63 full-time bachelor's degree programmes.
